A United States (US)-based medical glove manufacturer is investing an initial USD200 million to build a production facility in the Philippines, with plans to expand operations once the first phase becomes successful, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Tuesday (New York time).

In a press conference at The Pierre A Taj Hotel before leaving New York, Marcos said Harvard-based U.S. Medical Glove Company (USMGC) has already begun preparations for the project and has sent representatives to the Philippines to start work on the facility’s construction.

“The prospective amount is PHP200 million dollars in the beginning,” Marcos said.

“They have already started it. They sent already representatives to the Philippines. They’re already starting to build their first plant and gusto nilang mag-expand pa (they even want to expand). They already have found the local partner,” he added.

Marcos noted that the initial phase will involve a smaller investment, but discussions are already underway for a much larger expansion once operations begin.

Once operational, the facility would help ensure a stable domestic supply for various sectors, Marcos said.

“This is going to be to our advantage dahil magkakaroon tayo ng supply hindi lang para sa healthcare workers pati sa military at lahat nang nangangailangan (we will have a supply not only for our healthcare workers but also for the military and others who need it),” he said.

Marcos said the government is open to exploring more opportunities if the manufacturing venture performs well.

He also noted that USMGC wants to expedite the construction of the facility.

“Ang pagtatayo ng ganitong facility ay mabilis lang. Sabi nila basta napagawa na ang building, pagdating ng makinarya na iyan nila, withing 48 hours, they will start the process (The construction of this kind of facility is actually quick. They said that once the building is completed, and once their machinery arrives, they can start the process within 48 hours),” Marcos said.

Marcos met with the USMGC executives on Monday, the first day of his two-day working visit to the US.

In a Facebook post, Marcos said the project is expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs and pave the way for the local production of essential medical supplies.

USMGC is the leading American manufacturer of nitrile and polyisoprene surgical and exam gloves, headquartered in a 1.8 million-square-foot facility in Harvard, Illinois.

It has 10 nitrile-glove production lines in operation and produces over 2 billion gloves annually, and uses eco-friendly, energy-efficient machines that are 90 percent lighter than conventional machines and recycles 100 percent of production water. (PNA)